Traveling bag



y 4, 1939- D. R. BRANEN 2,164,493

TRAVELING BAG Filed Oct. 29, 1 938 Patented July 4, 1939 PATENT OFFICE TRAVELING BAG Daniel R. Branen, New York, N. Y.

Application October 29, 1933, SerialNo. 237,657

1 Claim.

The invention here disclosed relates to traveling bags generally.

Objects of the invention are to construct a traveling bag, so that shoes or the like, may be readily segregated and carried apart from clean linen and the like, and to accomplish this without wasting or losing the use of any space within the bag.

Further objects are to provide a bag having these special characteristics, which will be thoroughly desirable and practical in every way.

The objects mentioned, as well as others whichwill appear in the course of the following speciflcation, are all attained by the novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts as hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and broadly covered in the claim annexed.

In the accompanying drawing, there are shown certain practical embodiments of the invention, but structure may be modified and changed as regards the present disclosure, all within the true 1 spirit and broad scope of the invention as defined in the following specification and claim.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bag incorporating features of the invention, showing it opened both at the top and at the side.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the bag in closed condition, partly broken away and in section, showing the inner compartment fully expanded.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the walls of the inner compartment collapsed to allow use of the full interior of the bag.

Fig. 4 is a broken detail of the construction at one end of the bag.

Fig. 5 is a. broken plan view illustrating modification of the opening flap in the side of the bag.

The traveling bag shown is of the fully opening type, closable at the top by a slide I, operable to unite the fastener elements 8, 9, surrounding the opposing edges of the bag.

One sidewall of the bag is-shown split longitudinally near the bottom of the. bag and the opposing edges provided with fastener elements l0, ll, adapted to be engaged or released by the slide it. This provides a readily accessible opening in the side of the bag. Just above the bottom through which shoes or other objects which it may be desired to segregate, may be readily inserted or removed. To allow full and free opening, a folding gusset l3, Figs. 1 and 4, or gussets l3 and 14, Fig. 5. may be provided at one or both ends of the hinging lower section I, of the side wall, thus to allow this section to swing down as in dotted lines Fig. 2.

A flexible partition I, is provided within the bag to form a variable size compartment. accessible through the opening in the side of the bag and adapted when not in use to be collapsed. to enableiullusetobemadeottheentireinterior of the bag. This partition is indicated as a layer of heavy fabric extending the full length of the bag, attached at one end at H, to the side of the bag just above the side opening and attached at the opposite edge at it, to the bottom of the bag somewhat inward from the side edge of the same. The ends of this flexible wall are shown at 19, as left disconnected from the end walls of the bag and this is one preferred form of the invention, though for some uses, these ends of the partition are attached to the bag ends, so as to keep the compartment space below the partition always fully separate from the bag interior. The disconnected end structure is desirable for the ease with which the partition may be expanded fully .upward into the interior of the bagto receive shoes or the like, as in Fig. 2, and be as easily collapsed and flattened downward as in Fig. 3, against the side and bottom of the bag. to permit use of the full interior of the bag.

The invention is applicable to practically any kind of traveling bag and may be modified to suit various special requirements. The flexible folding partition may be left free at both ends or be free only at one end. Instead of being attached to the bottomfthe lower edge of the flexible partition may be connected with the lower section of the side wall below the opening therein, thus to fold up entirely over against said side wall.

What is claimed is:

A traveling bag having connected bottom and side walls, one side wall comprising upper and lower side wall portions separated on a line from end-to-end of the bag and above the bottom of the bag, said lower side wall portion being hingedly connected along its lower edge with the bottom of the bagand having a gusset connection at least at one end for enabling said lower portion of the side wall to hinge along the line of connection with the bottom outwardly and downwardly for free insertion and removal of articles through said side wall. a flexible partition providing a collapsible compartment within and from end-to-end of the bag, said partition having an upper edge connected with the upper portion of said side wall above the line of separation .between said upper and lower portions. said flexible partition having an opposite lower'cdge connected with the bottom of the,bag on a line inwardly of said hinging' lower side wall portion and said flexible partition being free at its ends and of such a length as to enable said flexible partition when not in use to be collapsed down over the bottom and against the inside face of said separated side wall portions and means for releasably securing the 'upper edge of said hinging lower side wall portion to the lower edge of said upper side wall portion. 

